BASIC DEFINITIONS

 

     • Residual haunting: the most common form of haunting, this activity does not interact with people. It is a regular repetition of a previous event, and although it can include sights, sounds, and smells, it is not believed to actually be a “ghost”, but rather remnant energy.

     • Intelligent haunting: the stereotypical form of haunting, this activity exhibits intelligence by interacting with the living. The entity may not realize it's dead (or will not accept that it's dead), has unfinished business with the living, or is unaware of how to enter the “other side”.

     • Inhuman haunting: the rarest of hauntings, and also the most feared. A form of intelligent haunting that is malevolent and spiteful, and never existed as a human. These demonic spirits can take any form desired, but typically make themselves known as half-man and half-animal, and are capable of severe psychological and physical attacks.

     • EVP (Electronic Voice Phenomenon): inexplicable sounds or voices that are not necessarily heard by human ears, but are imprinted on audio recording equipment, either digital or magnetic tape.

     • EMF (Electro-Magnetic Field): the Earth and all electronic devices have an ambient EMF associated with them. However, a sudden and inexplicable increase of the EMF can be an indication of paranormal activity, and perhaps an entity's attempt at manifestation.

     • Atmospheric anomaly: includes cold spots, warm spots, difficulty breathing, general “heaviness”.

     • Electrical anomaly: includes lights or appliances inexplicably turning on and off, rapidly draining batteries.

     • Physical contact: tapping, touching, grabbing, etc of a human by an entity. Can be used to get attention or can be violent. The most violent end can include biting, scratching, hitting, and sexual attacks. Considered a very high-level form of haunting.

     • Cold spot: the air gets suddenly and inexplicably cold. It is believed that entities require energy to manifest, and can take energy from their surroundings in order to accomplish this, sometimes resulting in a noticeable drop in temperature.

     • Apparition: an entity that expresses itself visually, to human eyes or only to photographs or video recordings. They can range from bright to dark human-shaped figures, all of varying degrees of transparency. Less well-defined apparitions may appear as nebulous, wispy, or shadow-like forms. This is also considered a very high-level form of haunting.

     • Poltergeist: an entity that shows signs of intelligence and manifests itself by moving and influencing objects and interacting with humans. Usually focused on an “agent” (the focus/magnet for the activity) and often the agent will be a child, adolescent, or individual with elevated “sensitivity”. Considered a very high-level form of haunting, poltergeists range from mildly mischievous to extremely dangerous.

     • Odor: entities can express their presence by producing an odor, either pleasant or unpleasant. Common examples of pleasant odors include perfume, cologne, or the scent of a deceased loved one while common examples of unpleasant odors include rotten meat, sulfur, urine, feces, and mustiness. These odors can appear and disappear suddenly and without explanation.

     • Mist: inexplicable light or dark wisp that appears and sometimes moves around. Could be invisible to the human eye but captured in photographs or videos. A mist could be a poorly-formed apparition, or somehow otherwise associated with an entity's manifestation.